Idea for new enh game play for next x-pack

edit: updated with icons, new descriptions and shortened post overall (still in progress)
edit2: made my earlier idea of discharge our aoe
One of the things I miss on enhancement is that we have no (secondary)recource. Hunters and rets started out like enhance, but they now have focus and holy power, and we look just like in vanilla in that regard. It feels like we're not worth the effort.
I truly believe we would gain lots of flavor, fun, and become more efficient even, since recources can be pooled and dont pose a dps loss for every moment you dont spent them once off cooldown(which happens when cds collide).

For that purpose, I thought up a enhance only recource. The name I am not entirely sure about, yet, but it would focus around the notion of enhancement fighting with elementally enhanced weaponry. Could be named Enhanced Weaponry (EW) for example.

How many charges to be generated, guaranteed or procced (and on what percentage), how many charges to be collectable and how much required for the abilities requiring it...would require number crunching and testing, so I cannot go into detail here.

2) ImbueFrostfire Weapon: The shamans' offhand weapon is imbued with frostfire. Each hit causes 112 to 345 additional Frostfire damage, based on the speed of the weapon. Slower weapons cause more fire damage per swing. Each Frostfire Weapon hit has a 40% chance of slowing the enemy target's movement speed by 50% for 8 seconds.

Increased ll and magical damage, as well as SF's bonus are all baked into LL, magical spell sources and FFW proc damage

7) AOE UnleashDischarge:
8.2% of base mana, 10yd range
instant
The shaman channels the collected energies in his weapons into his Lightning Shield, causing it to overload and discharge, eletrocuting enemy targets within 10 yards of the shaman for xxx-xxx [+xxx% of spelldamage] nature damage. Discharge requires at least one charge of Enhanced Weaponry and can consume up to 5 Enhanced Weapon charges, increasing damage for each additional charge by 25%.

lesser changes:
8) SF now procs of FFW procs and FS ticks now, instead of ST/FET (still conbsidering wether or not LL should become resettable baseline, now with cd-free UE and GL+PS)
9) Stormstrike deals now nature damage baseline
10) Earth Shock now shoots a rock needle at the enemy, instead of some glowy green light. Deals now physical damage.
11) MSW redesigned. Hex becomes instant baseline, heals have a chance becoming instant with a new proc chance on certain spells. LB becomes ele only and is replaced by something else.
12) ST/MT either gone or changed to 15sec dur/1min cds, with increased dmg
13) Ascendence will now make auto hits and wf(instead of storm strike) deal nature damage.

Would Discharge be ranged? IMO you could even do away with Discharge and basically make Static Shock work a lot like Fulmination does. i.e. when you gain an elemental charge, you give yourself a stack of LS. Then when you reach X stacks your next Earth Shock does all the stacks at once.

IMO the best thing to do with building charges is tie it into a secondary stat, like haste or crit, instead of just a flat % chance or tied to executing the rotation. In fact, I think crit would be best/most fun (and fit all those abilities). You could still make it work with the rotation, but what I mean is like SS/LL/PS would have a higher chance of proccing a charge because it attacks with both weapons, PS/LL could proc more if they crit, something like that. I like the idea of the new Primal Strike. It could be a skill/spell morph when you spec Enhance, like how Destro locks have Shadowbolt change into Incinerate. And yes, I feel like the SS change (dealing nature damage baseline) should have been coming for a long time. By "long time," I mean since like TBC or WOTLK. At the very least I would like to see it deal bonus nature damage if it can't do 100% (like 70% phys/30% nature). I like your imbue change too. Wolves IMO can deal physical damage with their auto attacks, but maybe they could have a secondary effect based on SS debuff, or refresh/extend SS debuff.

Also, I didn't really see anything about AOE. I realize AOE is so garbage as Enhance, but still... all the more reason to make it better. We've had different ideas. I would honestly say giving us Earthquake, or changing Magma from a totem into a casted AOE (might be too similar to Hellfire/Rain of Fire/Flamestrike) or making FN spread from the shaman and deal bonus damage to enemies with FS on them (then give it some kind of resource limitation so we don't spam it single target) or lots of other ideas could work.

I'm slightly confused about your UE change too. When you say UE buff, do you mean the current buffs from UE, or do you mean UE would now proc EB's buffs, or both? UE's buffs are pretty good (well, the WF buff is) and EB's buffs are ginormous, so stacking both into one ability seems pretty OP. Also a bit confused on needing so many charges for casting UE and stuff. It seems like a good idea on paper, but when I think about it in practice, I don't know if it would be as fun as an easier system. Maybe cap it at 6 charges max but UE costs 2 to use, and instead of "chance of crappy buffs" (only us Shaman players would be so accustomed to this that we would find it acceptable) ALL the buffs you can get from it are awesome, so you would have a choice of unloading 3 UEs to stack each possible random buff (IMO, if it uses EB buffs, remove whatever winds up weakest after number crunching/testing from the 4 EB buffs for enhance) for a real burst window.

http://www.wowhead.com/spell=8232 nope, it's physical. I thought about making it nature, but from a purely logical standpoint, I'd imagine wind either throwing you into things (or things into you), or, going the route of certain games, comics and movies, cutting (though doesn't make any sense either ). Both of these I'd categorize as physical damage. So while wind is categorized as nature, it doesn't make any sense other than doing physical damage. Lightning meanwhile...

@ Omgarsh:
Discharge would be melee, I specified it with "The shaman touches his enemy". In my suggestion, Earth Shock deals physical damage, and doesn't really match lightning. In the end, it doesn't make much a difference though .

You're right with having charge building affected by haste or crit being good. I tried a combination of high chance on executing certain abilities, to have control over it to some extend, and add a %chance on imbues/auto hits, to encourage haste. The percentage could be increased also, by default or through mastery, comes down to testing then.

I didn't go into much detail on 6), because it's quite impossible to accurately balance it without actual testing. Because of that...

How many charges to be generated, guaranteed or procced (and on what percentage), how many charges to be collectable and how much required for the abilities requiring it...would require number crunching and testing, so I cannot go into detail here.

If someone has the means and recources to actually test that, including maybe altering some cds, by all means .

I changed SS to nature because:
1) It's called STORMstrike (duh )
2) Its animation involves lightning
3) The big jump from SS to SB when using Ascendence is likely what brought us the nerf. ignoring armor and benefitting from mastery on an ability that already deals awesome damage without it: was only a matter of time. Bake the nature damage in baseline, and balance it around that. WF becoming nature wont be as dangerous, and the focus of Ascendence in pvp will be the ranged aspect, not the damage.
4) With removing LB, static shock and changing ES to physical, my build required more nature sources

As for wolves: Yeah, I wanted an additional nature damage source plus a charge builder for discharge. Didn't put to much thought into those. What I forgot to mention is that they would be around all the time, as in permanent pets. The damage would remain rather low though. Instead of discharging LS we could discharge our wolves also, and make LS ele only. Just tossing around ideas as they come .

Concerning AOE: yeah, I briefly considered making LL a cleave (cone before caster), applying FS for FN. But then I got into doubt because of the cooldown it should have, and if it wouldn't be weird if players used it as a filler on melee targets. Also considered the LL cleave to turn into forked lightning when under ascendence, turning fire nova into nova and flame shock into lightning shock, but... thought it would clusterfuck our dmg sources to much, and confuse players, so I left it out. Also considered a frost aoe, but thought it would be to similar to Howling Blast from dk.
The most simple thing would probably just making FN emanate from the caster and increase its damage...dunno though, sounds lame and dumbed down though, still thinking of something better.
Your suggestion about EQ I could imagine, or maybe a water (visually not ice, but still doing frost damage) based aoe, like a geysir or something.

Ah, sorry about the confusion about UE. My thought was to remove the ability as is, and just use its name on a remodeled EB that runs on a recource. Aside from the raw physical/fire damage UE provides atm (which is boring), it brings a mini flurry, a fire dmg mod and talented auto hit static shock and a lb dmg mod.
Since lb is gone in my scenario, the last would be pointless anyways. The flurry proc could be rolled into the wf proc, or flurry could be buffed instead. Having so many haste buffs seems kinda bloated anyways. The fire damage mod currently only benefits FS and FN, so its not much of a loss. And static shock would be gone also. Unleashing your weapons to make auto attacks stronger, I dunno, doesn't strike me as all that awesome, but that may be just me .

As said about number of charges, would need number crunching and testing. I took the usual five charges as a maximum that can be used. The maximum you can collect is 10, so you can use UE twice with full charges.
UE can be used with a single EW charge, but then does lowest damage, and shortest buff duration.

Some idea I just now had: Instead of making it a linear damage and buff duration increase, each amount of charges could do something entirely different. For example:
1 charge: the target is hit by a dot for xx seconds
2 charges: target takes extra damage through your fire spells (for when FET is out for example)
3 charges: your LS has a chance to built charges on auto hits as well (for Discharge)
4 charges: reduces the cooldown of your SS and LL by 3 seconds for xx seconds
5 charges: your GL and PS deal double damage on targets affected by SS

On just one glance, it would be to much, so maybe lowering it to three charges max, and a maximum of 6 to collect. juggling to much stuff at the same time would be wotlk feral all over again. Well, it is just an idea, though the linear damage/duration increase would be much easier balance-wise.

As for stacking buffs: I didn't even consider that, lol. I just thought it to cut the previous buff but yeah, stacking buffs would reward fast recource building and unleashing...likely be op though, having several of the current EB buffs at the same time...though the same would count for the above thought .

Thanks for your thoughts, btw. Appreciate it .

Originally Posted by Angoth

I'm sorry that Blizzard won't just gift wrap awesome in a cup and let you drink your fill.

1 charge: the target is hit by a dot for xx seconds
2 charges: target takes extra damage through your fire spells (for when FET is out for example)
3 charges: your LS has a chance to built charges on auto hits as well (for Discharge)
4 charges: reduces the cooldown of your SS and LL by 3 seconds for xx seconds
5 charges: your GL and PS deal double damage on targets affected by SS

is that if u want the 2nd one to happen and u press ur key bind but u got 3 by the time u pressed it u got the wrong effect happening also it would be nice if we use UE to empower our strikes so for instance u UE and then LL and it makes u do dot dmg over time and if u UE and then GS it stuns the target. this would be a nice idea.

There are a few problems with your enhancement design. the first is the fact that is not only way to complicate to be viable as a gameplay , but also too far away from the current enhance sistem. It would require not just a complete revamp, but also a total different class. to many new spells, to many changes to our current spells, to much emphasis on elemental damage ( this will blow our mastery out of proportion, and i dont see blizzard adding a new one).
If things are going to change for Enhance , it has to be done with small steps so players would be able to recognize the spec . The second problem is the fact that Bilzz has already stated that there will be no resource added for enhance, like holly power for paladins or monks.

I would love to see a true resource for Enhancement, but it would have to start from our current one - Maelstrom Weapon. The way i see it , MW would be a system similar to DK runic power, generated by CD driven abilities such as SS and shock spells, with auto-attacks having a chance to generate additional MW units. MW will used the same way as today, to reduce the cast time of spells, but instead of a 20% reduction per charge, you will have a 25 % reduction per 10 units. Finally, our main MW generating abilities, SS and Shock , could be affected by haste, in the same way Sanctity of Battle works for Paladins. This however is optional, depending on how much value haste needs to have for us.

I could go on, but i think this change would be enough to make our rotation more fluid. imagine not having to stay on 5 stack of MW because hex is coming off CD or because you need a heal, or not having to hard cast a full Elemental blast, or being able to pool MW for 2 LB back to back. You could also add LL to the list MW consuming abilites, and design a system where the player must make a decision on using LL or LB. This could be linked to a proc or to a small duration buff like the one from Unleashed Fury.

The only glaring issues I see at the moment is the outdated totem system and our AoE. Totems now are a big improvement over what they were. Having them tied to DPS or Utility is fine. But they are still largely immobile pains in the arse. Some people in this forum claim that is class flavor. Thats great, its class bullshit. Either make them worth the pain in the arse or make them easier to handle.

Our AoE. Put it in the bin. Just find that part of the code, highlight it. Delete it. It was a temporary fix in Cataclysm, a temporary fix that has turned into 2 years of frustration. Stormstrike is now learnable at level 10. Primal Strike is now a 360 degree AoE that deals X weapon damage upon impact and leaves lingering searing winds that deal X nature damage for X seconds in the blast radius. It shares a cooldown with Stormstrike. The end.

@ Velthari: Yeah, the second idea about charges wouldn't work like that, the first one would be the way to go (dmg and buff duration)

@ Darksoldierr: I can sympahise with that. Still, that also makes it feel like we're left behind. Again, hunters/rets started out where we did, but evolved into something stronger. We're stuck at our first evolution step still. I can understand that players would be afraid of big changes, but other classes had stuff like that coming to them as well, and it worked. As for msw... well, with the big HR nerf, enh will likely only use ir for weak lb again in pve, whereas in pvp having hex tied into it makes for many wasted stacks. The notion of hard casting when not fully stacked is also bogus. I just cannot bring myself to like msw that way.

@ Pantsless: Well, basically you use your melee strikes to fuel your recource, and unleash it with UE. When you strikes happen to be on cd or fs dot runs out or something like that, you use shocks and totems. Rather simple actually.
It's basically replacing msw procs with ew procs, and removing the cd on UE, having it fill the role of lb, which is gone. The spot of high cd ue takes primal strike and/or glacier spike. All in all, it isn't that much changed.
A secondary recource isn't that much a huge step, I think. And I hav e no clue how you could make this step any smaller. Either you introduce it or not. And with msw, enh had lots of time growing accustomed to a collect-and-spent system.
Blizz stated that they dont plan on an enh recource, yes. They also stated they wanted to make totems buffs during ulduar, then, during cata, announced that it would be bad because totems wouldn't be totems anymore, and in mop we have it anyway, only far later than we would've wished. Blizz changes their minds. Also, dismissing ideas because "blizz states they dont want to, or likely dont want to", doesn't that destroy the point of thinking up and discussing ideas?
Concerning your idea for msw as a recource; what would actually change? More often avaiable lb? It would still be a weak spell.
I dont think reducing the cd of ss/ll and so forth, based on haste a bad idea. I just think introducing a third and maybe fourth melee strike additionally, better. Running on only 4-5 spells in total feels like playing with building blocks as a kindergarten kid for me. When I played my ret alt, I felt there were to few buttons to press, with only judgment, crusader, divine storm, exorcism and consecration. They evolved since wotlk though, I'd think, so I'd imagine them not being so simple now.

Well, the basis behind my idea, aside from utilizing a more fun, worthwhile and visual recource, for me, was to introduce more actual earth and ice spells, and turn us into a more colourful spec. Enh, outside of Ascendence, is almost entirely fire, with a teeny tiny little bit lightning here and there. Lack of a finisher, few actual melee skills, few frost, an ability less counterable than others (my suggestion on primal strike) were other points I looked at.

And thanks for all your feedback, including the disagreeing Just wanted to get those ideas out and hear opinions.

Originally Posted by Angoth

I'm sorry that Blizzard won't just gift wrap awesome in a cup and let you drink your fill.

Holy Shit Manly'O! You're writing novel again!
Anyways, some nice ideas; Frostfire-Weapon is a must. It's a shame that FbW is usable only in PvP/mobs... RbW needs an upgrade too.
I have to ask you, Have You started playing again? Or is Manly'O still benched?

Holy Shit Manly'O! You're writing novel again!
Anyways, some nice ideas; Frostfire-Weapon is a must. It's a shame that FbW is usable only in PvP/mobs... RbW needs an upgrade too.
I have to ask you, Have You started playing again? Or is Manly'O still benched?

Haven't returned (yet), no.

Briefly considered it when the big junk of changes were announced during mop beta, but there was nothing after that. Then came the totem silence nerf, now removal of totemic restoration...frankly, totems are more a pain than ever. Enh had a moment in the spotlight in pve wit high burst and support heal (again I was tempted, but pve is not enough for me), but that seems to be over as well.

I have hopes for the next beta to bring the first shaman overhaul, ever. Part of the reason I continue my mmo visits. Sadly, retired players are not allowed posting on the official forums (not that I was overwhelmed by blue responses on the eu shaman forums), which is kinda contraproductive, as those are the subscriber losses I would imagine they want to get back. What better than to allow for those to take up words than those consequent enough to quit when they are uncontent?

I'm happy you like some of my ideas, though . thanks

Originally Posted by Angoth

I'm sorry that Blizzard won't just gift wrap awesome in a cup and let you drink your fill.

The resourse "system" you've written sounds too similar to monk Tigereye Brew mechanic. And with the risk of sounding cynical, we'd end up being balanced around it. Do not want.

And if I'm honest, playing a shaman today actually feels refreshing after many classes having the 'accumulate enough secondary resource, burn/use it after'-system.

Only thing I'd change is making searing/magma persist until another fire totem is dropped. Obviously we'd keep the duration on Fire Ele totem.

I quit half-way through cata, and couldn't be bothered ever looking at monks in detail. Pure coincidence. And obviously we'd be balanced around it, duh . And with msw, we already have a burn/use it after - system, sooo...

Originally Posted by Angoth

I'm sorry that Blizzard won't just gift wrap awesome in a cup and let you drink your fill.

Oh, don't got me wrong, your ideas are neat. However there's a few specs that already use the mechanic you've come up with (similar or very loosely similar). Arcane mages, destro locks, to lesser extent demo locks, ww monks with TeB and even fury warriors to a degree (dumping rage during a Colossus Smash window).

If they decide to add a secondary resource to enha shammies, I'd pick the druid ecplicse mechanic. Using earth and wind as the eclipse states. Fire as the "proc" state (think of druid Starsurge).

Interesting ideas but I'm against it I'm afraid because :
1) As an ele sham I don't like EB becoming enha only (sort of), reworking enha is fine but not if it impacts ele like that.
2) Unleash looks a lot like fulmination only with an added stat bonus, enha needs something unique. It could be a simple buff (like Inquisiton) that empowers your auto attacks and your melee abilities (maybe something replacing unleashed elements).
3 I'm not sure I like the execute part of glacier Spike. A lot of class already have an execute and I think we don't need one.
4) Still a lot of ranged abilities/spells in the kit. I believe enha should be more focused on melee abilities which deal a mix of physical/nature and fire damages. I would actually remove shocks from the kit, it just doesn't fit.

Ehhm... So it's like combo points on the shaman with one finisher? Assuming I skimmed the post right. Honestly don't think it's any more interesting than current playstyle or distinctive enough from rogues or ferals, and mana as resource fits enhancement because it is "melee and magic" class.

Enha needs something but devs don't seem to have any good ideas, and neither do I. Personally I think the lacking cleave and ridiculous number of DPS cooldowns would be highest priority fixes/needs, instead of making up a resource system.

Never going to log into this garbage forum again as long as calling obvious troll obvious troll is the easiest way to get banned.
Trolling should be.

Ah well, I'd be lying if I would say I'd invented the wheel anew. Obviously I was inspirated by existing stuff. There is to say, picking the druid eclipse mechanic wouldn't be anything new either.

Another thing is that I doubt the mechanic to work for a melee spec. Moonkins play from moonphase to sunphase and back, rinse and repeat, spamming their casted spells with no cooldown, with star surges every now and then. Enh is based on instant spells with cooldowns though. Blizz would have to make our melee strikes taken of cd, and then we'd essentially spam ss till we hit an earth phase and then primal strike until we hit a wind phase, with a lava lash inbetween.
Being able to spam melee feels wrong imo. Becoming like a dk isn't one think I'd want, it sounds to dumbed down. And spamming SS would be op unless we heavily nerfed it, which also, I dont think many would like.

Originally Posted by JKinTMC

sounds like riftblade from rift..

Never played rift, so I had to google for it first, but yes, they look similar.

Originally Posted by Recom

-snip-

1) Well, ele could get a brand new dps system as well, featuring one or two new spells for a start. Since the name of Elemental Blast is vacant, it could get a whole new visual and effect. Or the UE I thought up could exist for ele as well, but work entirely different. I think it kinda silly though speaking against a suggestion for spec a out of fear it nerfs spec b, so long as it doesn't specifically say so. If that's what you thought, I assure you, isn't my intent. Ele would obviously go through changes as well, as they share spells with us. As I never really played as one, I cannot really make an accompanying ele design though.

2) If you look through this thread, you'll notice people comparing it to

Originally Posted by Hoofer

there's a few specs that already use the mechanic you've come up with (similar or very loosely similar). Arcane mages, destro locks, to lesser extent demo locks, ww monks with TeB and even fury warriors

Originally Posted by JKinTMC

sounds like riftblade from rift..

(different game)

Originally Posted by Recom

Unleash looks a lot like fulmination

(ele)

Originally Posted by vesseblah

So it's like combo points on the shaman with one finisher?

(rogue,feral)

My suggestion actually is oriented after holy power and msw though

Darksoldierr wants to stay at cooldowns and nothing else, while loving msw5xlb, while my suggestion isn't all that different really. In a nutshell, we still operate on cooldowns, and instead of msw proc EW, using UE instead of lb.

My suggestion would exclude cc/healing from our dps, similar to rets's comfortability. As for chainligtning; it's designed for ele-spammage anyway. We cannot do this spell justice, and aoe on a ppm doesn't improve on our otherwhise unappealing aoe either.

I must say though: I am somewhat pleased that people read all kinds of other mechanics into it, even from classes/specs if never so much as touched or have even known (I quit before monks), or even other games I've never played . IMO, that shows that my system may not be all that unique, but not a clear copy of anything else either. It has something from here and there, creating something new.

3) I'd ask why not. It is a definite lack in both pve and pvp. Especially if we remain as we are in terms of mobility/gap closing, enh will be very bad in ensuring a kill in pvp. With no instant gap closers and no ranged execute... And our burst will take a dive after the next patch goes life as well. Somewhere, enh will need to have an edge. With cooldowns on all abilities, our sustained damage will lack unpredictability as well, so a finisher being needed feels to me like a given.

4) A lot of ranged abilities still...well, there'd be shocks, UE, and glacier spike, true. There is to say though, our "battle-mage cousins", rets and dks, have their share of ranged spells also, with judgments, exorcism and hammer of wrath, and icy touch and death coil. It's just part of the franchise, I'd say. And as I explained with GS, having ranged spells with our spec's lack in mobility seems like a given. UE would be a way of storing damage for when we're kited, GS when a target manages to run when low on health, and shocks as small fillers.
I'd agree though that shocks could do for something new after all this time though.

and mana as resource fits enhancement because it is "melee and magic" class.

A recource we dont use any more than rets use theirs. Wether our spells dont use any mana at all would make no difference, so long as we stay on target. May as well call auto attack our resource, it's that bad. And as I think was established, my recource does appear to remind of not just rogues/ferals . EW has it's similarities with cp, yes. But cp are used for a greater variety of spells, that include the entire rogue/druid playstyle, whereas EW is much more a secondary system, aside from varying between shocks and watching SF charges (wether or not LL cd being resettable, I'd leave that up for consideration).

As for aoe, there could be an aoe version to UE, similar to how there is CL to LB when looking at msw. When an aoe phase is a proaching, enh could stack up for two aoe UEs and unleash strong snap AOE at once, and weaker after that, whenever new charges roll in.

Last edited by Omanley; 2013-08-31 at 06:23 PM.

Originally Posted by Angoth

I'm sorry that Blizzard won't just gift wrap awesome in a cup and let you drink your fill.